it. and then -- and then just sort of the same situation happened, "running wild" which he wrote and created, they had a part, oh, we want you to do this. so it worked out. >> like a blackmail thing. it premieres on ifc on october 1st. david cross, a pleasure to see you in person rather than just on the computer. >> thank you, you too. >> that's september 28th. i'm keith olbermann, good night and good luck. now to discuss what the democrats would prefer to run away from rather than run on, ladies and gentlemen, here is the invaluable rachel maddow. evening, rachel. >> invaluable. thank you very much. >> well, it's not me saying that, that was the deputy press secretary who said that. >> well, you too are invaluable if i remember the quote correctly, keith. >> well, i wasn't going to point that out, but thank you for doing so. >> well done and very subtle. thank you, keith, and thank you at home for staying with us for the next hour. during which, i hereby promise we will talk about white

supremacist football. white supremacist football and its connection to one insane new york congressional race. do not try this at home. this is stunt wing nutry to be handled by professionals only. you are in good handle this. white supremacist football is coming up later on this hour. but we begin tonight at the university of wisconsin in madison. where president obama has just launched a new get out the vote effort. simulcast. when the president spoke at this same wisconsin campus in early 2008 during the presidential primaries, the 17,000 strong crowd that turned out to see him that night in '08 made major headlines for his then campaign. 17,000 people turning out at a campaign rally. tonight mr. obama was back at the university of wisconsin at madison. and the crowd this time was bigger. it was a bigger crowd this time to see him as president speaking outside at the campus instead of inside at the cole center arena like he did last time.

the president tonight addressed a crowd that university police estimate at more than 26,000 people. watch. >> the prediction among the pundits is there's going to be a blood letting for democrats. that's what they're saying in washington. and what they're saying is -- and the basis of their prediction is that all of you who work so hard in 2008 aren't going to be as energized, aren't going to be as engaged. they say there is an enthusiasm gap and that the same republicans and the same policies that left our economy in a shamble and the middle class struggling might rise back into power. now, that's what they're saying. i'm not making this up. you guys read the papers. you guys are watching the television. they're basically saying that you're apathetic, disappointed,

you're not sure that oh, we're not sure that we're going to turn out. wisconsin, we can't let that happen. we cannot sit this one out. we can't let this country fall backwards because the rest of us didn't care enough to fight. the stakes are too high for our country and for your future and i am going to get out there and fight as hard as i can. and i know you are too to make sure we keep moving forward. >> the president's voice straining as he shouts to make sure we keep moving forward. to make his case for democratic voters to turn out in the fall, to not just raise the volume but try to make the case. the president listed what his administration has achieved in the first 20 months. >> to help middle class families get ahead. we passed a tax cut for 95% of working families. i want to repeat that. we cut taxes for 95% of working families because if you were listening to the other side,

you'd think we raised taxes. but, again, we deal in facts. and the fact is we cut taxes for 95% of working families. we passed 16 different tax cuts for america's small business owners who create the majority of jobs in this country. we passed health care reform that will stop insurance companies from denying you coverage or dropping you coverage because you were sick. >> notice that was not supposed to be an applause line. as soon as he said we passed health care reform, the crowd goes wild. imagine that, people like it. they really like it. imagine. >> we have made progress over the last 20 months. and that is the progress that you worked so hard for in 2008. now, we didn't get everything done. sometimes people say, well, you know, this item, that item --

well -- i've only been here two years, guys. if you look at the checklist, we've already covered about 70%, so i figured i need to have something to do for the next couple of years. and look, here's the fact. here's the fact is that we're not where we need to be, not even close. the hole that we're climbing out of is a deep one. people, i want you to understand the magnitude of what we've gone through. this is deeper than the last three recessions combined. most of the jobs we lost took place before any of our economic policies had a chance to take effect. and on top of that, the middle class has been struggling for more than a decade and jobs have

been shipped overseas and millions of families were still treading water. millions are still barely able to make their bills or make the mortgage. i hear the stories every day. i read them in just heartbreaking letters i receive each night. so i understand the people are frustrated. i understand people are impatient with the pace of change. of course they are. look, i'm impatient, but i also know this. now is not the time to lose heart. now is not the time to give up. we do not quit, and we cannot forget that this nation has been through far worse and we have come out stronger from war to depression to the great struggle for equal rights and civil rights. we do not quit.

if everybody fought for change in 2008 shows up to vote in 2010, we will win. we will win. we will win. the polls say the same thing. we will win. so you know what the other side is counting on this time around? they're counting on you staying home. they're counting on your silence, they're counting on amnesia, betting on your apathy, especially since a lot of you are young folks. so madison, you've got to prove them wrong. let's show washington one more time. change doesn't come from the top. it doesn't come from millions of dollars of special interest fund and attack ads, change happens because of you. change happens because of you.

change happens because of you. >> joining us now is "huffington post" political reporter sam stein. thanks so much for your time, it's nice to see you. >> hi, rachel. >> this is not the kind of event, not the kind of speech we've seen from president obama in a long time. is this a one off? or does your reporting suggest that this is a new white house strategy for the election? >> well, i think it's part of a broader new strategy designeds of to get the base out. and it's much more interesting than scolding. he's telling the base that i realize that things haven't been perfect, but we've gone so far. let's do two more years. and the thing is that when you tell voters to come out because there's more to achieve, it's much more effectual than i think say stop whining, you should go vote again. i think the president probably took a crew that the coverage that he and his vice president got over the past couple of days and refigured the message. >> the stop whining strategy is

known here as the punch the hippie strategy. is it your sense that the punch the hippie strategy is getting enough pushback that the pushback is getting to the white house and they might turn to more of what the president is doing tonight? >> yeah, i think the general frustration within the white house and the people i talked to who are high up who they think they don't get enough credit for what they've done. and in some respects, they're right. on the same hand, they realize there's no benefit, i guess to punching the hippie or telling voters to buck up. a lot o frustrated not just because of certain political policies but because the economy still sucks. and to tell them that they shouldn't be upset and they should go out and vote for the president who is sort of inherently dismissing the struggles that they feel. >> who is more mobilizable, which is not a word, for the white house.

>> now it is. >> who do they see as more -- as a group that is more likely to be mobilized to get out the vote, to be enthusiastic for november? is it young people that you would have in college audiences like tonight? young voters who don't usually turn out in great numbers for midterm elections? or are they likely to get more distance out of trying to motivate their actual base, the traditional democratic base including union members, liberals, and that sort of thing? >> you're right that historically the youth vote doesn't really come out in midterm elections but presidential elections. obama's 2008 campaign was the exception to the rule. and this is the first midterm election in the age of social media. and i say that facebook, twitter, all these tools are there for politicians to really take advantage of. and obama was able to do that in 2008. the problem is that he hasn't engaged the same people in the way that would be productive for 2010. and it remains to be seen whether groups like organizing for america or the white house

itself can actually flip the switch and just sort of reach out to these voters in the way they did in the presidential campaign and get them to the polls again. >> russ feingold facing a challenger. senator feingold was not expected to go to the event tonight. there were reports he wasn't going to go to the event, university of wisconsin in madison, i think it's his alma mater. he did come to tonight's rally. any idea what changed there? >> from what i heard, it was never a matter of trying to duck the president. russ feingold is one of the most dedicated progressives in congress. if anything he's critical from the so-called left of the spectrum. he had conflicts with the senate that cleared up and he ended up at the speech. far more common is when conservative democrats are distancing themselves from obama. as you see with people like representative chet edwards who is floated to be obama's vice president by nancy pelosi during the campaign and is now up with

an advertisement in which he touts his work against president obama and nancy pelosi herself. with people like russ feingold, i don't think there's any meaningful distance trying to create there. >> a vigorous democratic party would punish that sort of thing instead of rewarding it by catering to it, but then we wouldn't have jobs. sam stein, thanks so much. >> thanks, rachel. take care. so senator james warren demint of south carolina is threatening all by himself without even apparently the approval of his fellow republicans. he's threatening all by himself to shut down the legislature of the united states. at least to shut down the united states senate. if i use that senator's middle name when i talk about this, does that bring home just how scary this prospect is? senator james warren hussein demint? i am willing to do that if i need to. i'm willing to pull out all the stops to make the importance of this sink in. that's next.

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if a major political party were to take stances on issues like social security and abortion rights and other political party in that same race might eventually shine as bright a light as possible on those extreme positions, right? until now, not so much with the democrats and the light and the extreme on that until now. but we do have an update. real developments in the way democrats are running against republicans. coming up. stufy, make the call. ♪ [ dialing ] [ beeping ] [ beeping ] [ beeping ] [ eli ] it's go time. ♪ ♪

i've always felt the nine most terrifying words in the english language are "i'm from

the government and i'm here to help." >> i believe that ronald reagan had it right. i've always felt that the nine most terrifying words in the english language are "i'm from the government and i'm here to help." >> ronald reagan once said the nine most terrifying words in the english language are "i'm from the government, and i'm here to help you." >> what if you are the government, though? does that mean you shouldn't try to help? what are you trying to do with your government if trying to help is a very bad thing? what else could you do in government? you know, what happened today in washington we should've seen it coming back in february. in february, most of the country was mortified when republican senator jim bundting used his power as a senator to stop unemployment for the country. he turned himself into a one-man road block as they tried to pass

unemployment benefits through the senate. >> is there objection? >> senator from kentucky objects. i'll be here as long as you're here and as long as all those other senators are here. and i'm going to object every time. >> and object he did over and over and over and over again and over and over again. senate rules allow that. and sometimes when you've got a guy like him, people unemployed through no fault of their home get cut off from unemployment benefits because of that one somewhat eccentric senator decides he's got a problem with it. when that happened back in february, we should've seen then what was coming today. because after he finally relented back in february, after this millionaire ex-baseball player finally gave up his crusade against the unemployed, we should've seen what happened today in washington coming. when the whole country was pretty much mortified by what he had done. but one very important very small constituency felt otherwise. they were not at all horrified by what he'd done.

quite the contrary. >> i admire the courage of the junior senator from kentucky. >> somebody has to stand up finally and say enough is enough. >> he stood like a solid rock, and he didn't give in. and i respect him for the courage he showed. >> the senator from kentucky has taken a courageous stand to hold the democrats, in fact, all of us accountable to the things that we say we believe. >> when republicans praised him back then, we should've seen what happened today coming. we should've seen it coming a month after the fiasco too when health reform faced its final passage in the senate. it'd already passed the house, passed the senate one time before. health we form was going to pass. but republicans, remember this? republicans decided their strategy against it at that point what they wanted the big show boat of resistance to be at the end would be keeping the

senate in session until 3:00 in the morning. remember this? well, they voted on amendments that were essentially laugh lines. >> one of the republican amendments wants a public referendum in the district of columbia on gay marriage. another republican amendment wants us to go after the organization a.c.o.r.n. which just announced its bankruptcy. another amendment says no prescription viagra for rapists. >> these amendments had nothing to do what was going on policiwise. it was a just for show effort by republicans to stop health reform for a while. for the sheer performative pleasure for stopping it. it wasn't a real effort to stop the bill, it was an effort to show what they were capable of doing by just blocking it for a while till late at night. just stopping any progress from happening for the sake of showing that they could. not making any progress on their own, just stopping things. we should've seen then what was coming today. because today, a lone republican senator, jim demint of south

carolina threatened essentially to shut down the federal government using the power that one senator has under senate rules. quoting from roll call newspaper, senator demint warned his colleagues that he would place a hold on all legislation that has not been cleared by his office before the close of business tuesday. any piece of legislation not personally cleared by jim demint will be blocked by jim demint. it is a threat that "roll call" newspaper described as remarkable. among the things that the senate has yet to pass and which senator demint could presumably block is a spending measure to keep the government operating past september 30th. so senator demint in effect is now threatening to shut down the entire government. a government shutdown like the one we had in the '90s under newt gingrich. a few key differences. for one thing, right now it's just a lone republican senator without a leadership position who is threatening this. in 1995, at least, mr. gingrich was the republican speaker of the house. the other difference that the

government shutdown in 1995 was at least theoretically about something. about republicans wanting president clinton to cut medicare and medicaid and education. this time around, mr. demint is not even bothering to make a case that it is about anything. it's not that jim demint wants some legislative thing he's not getting. like remember when that alabama republican senator put a blanket hold on all of the president's judicial nominees because he wanted some pork for his district? this is not that. this is not i'm trying to get this one earmark, this one policy thing changed and if i don't get it i'm going to shut down the government. this is just, i'm going to shut down the government. this is just i can and so i shall. this is shutting down the government for the pure ideological joy of shutting down the government. it is the fetishization of the government shutdown, the full fruition of the idea that governing itself is bad. if you campaign for generations on the idea that government itself is bad that -- that governing is bad, that policy is bad, that having a legislature

that legislates is bad, that the nine scariest words in the english language are i'm from the government and i'm here to help because government can never help, it never helps and it must be stopped, ultimately your anti-government movement births politicians who stop government. who shut it down for no other reason than that they can because they think it's intrinsically good to do so. and if you do not believe me, explain why this keeps getting brought up by the right this year. >> if the government shuts down, we want you with us. we want you with us. we got to have you. we gotta have you. >> if the president wants to push it, the it is. >> there's going to be a government shutdown. just like in '95 and '96, but we're going to win it this time. >> government shut down. woo! understand these arguments are not about shutting down the

government for any reason. for any one unbearable thing. it's not a last resort way for republicans to try to get this one thing that's very important to them that they can't get any other way. it's not that. it's just they want to shut down the government. any policy excuse to do that is as good as any other. and jim demint has now just decided that the whole policy hook, that's beside the point. shutdown itself is good because government itself is bad, governing itself must be stopped, legislating itself is evil and must be stopped, which is a relatively cogent sentiment coming from someone with a black bandanna over their face running with a "smash the state" banner at a wto in the '90s. mr. demint, when you spoke to your guidance counselor in high school, did that person really suggest governing as a good career path for you? because the country does need running. it does need governing. and if you are against that on principle, then government service maybe shouldn't be the right fit for you.

the government shutdown back in 1995, the gingrich shutdown cost american taxpayers about $800 million. these things are not free. mr. demint today threatened to do it again just for the sake of doing it again. jim demint wanting to do this is not surprising given how radical his politics are. so far the supposed republican leader, mitch mcconnell has had no comment on his threat to shut down the government. watch how other republicans and conservatives respond, though, to what jim demint is doing. in policy terms, it is a little spooky about the senate that one senator can shut down the entire government if he decides to. in policy terms, it's a little spooky. in political terms, it is even more spooky if it turns out that jim demint in this case is not standing alone. [ male announcer ] you're at the age where you don't get thrown by curve balls. ♪ this is the age of knowing how to get things done. ♪

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the democratic politics ferry came to visit us today. and the democratic politics fairy brought us here at the rachel maddow show two gifts. first a white house spokesman brought up on a gaggle on air force one the issue of those darn liberal cable news hosts on the msnbc. but he brought us up in order to say something nice about us. this is a nice change. spokesman bill burton described "countdown" and this program as "helping to keep our government honest and pushing and prodding to make sure that folks are true to progressive values." mr. burton said the president "thinks that those folks provide an invaluable service."

that was very nice. nice personally, of course, very flattering, but it's also nice in the sense that in an election year it is nice for liberals to hear someone from the democratic-controlled white house talk about liberals without swearing at them. none of that means, of course, that we will stop reporting the news in a way that sometimes makes the democratically-controlled white house swear at us again. the second gift today came from the midwest. from a relatively conservative republican congressional district from the campaign of an nra endorsed centrist democrat. the democratic politics fairy brought us from that campaign the first grand slam out of the park absolutely perfect democratic campaign ad of the entire year. the ad that every democrat in the country could copy and run on this year. and if they did that, it is the kind of ad, the kind of perfect message, perfectly done that could keep the house and the senate democratic this year if democrats decide they actually want to try for that.

it is the best democratic ad of the year according to me. the year according to me. it is perfect, it is next. lord of the carry-on. sovereign of the security line. you never take an upgrade for granted. and you rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle. and go. you can even take a full-size or above. and still pay the mid-size price. i deserve this. [ male announcer ] you do, business pro. you do. go national. go like a pro.

as we've been talking a lot about lately, at a sort of metastrategic level, democrats decided this year that they did not want to run in this year's elections with a national campaign strategy for whatever reason as republicans turned right at sarah palin, right again at jim demint, at the ghost of jessie helms, democrats decided there was not much to say about democrats v. republicans this year. for whatever reason, that's what they decided. but here's what it looks like when democrats stray from that. here's what it looks like when democrats say there is something worth saying about democrats v. republicans this year. here's what it looks like when democrats do draw that contrast. when a democratic candidate tries to hang the republican agenda on her individual republican opponent. here's what it looks like when a democratic candidate commits politics. watch this. >> i'm debbie hal verson and aapprove this message. >> says social security benefits need to be capped.

>> it's like you're stealing the money out of my pocket. >> i need my social security. >> i've worked 52 years. >> we've paid all these years. >> and adam kinzinger plans to raise the retirement age. >> it's not right. >> don't even think about it. >> adam. >> adam. >> adam. >> you don't get it. >> you're out of your tree. >> you're a young guy and you've got a lot to learn, adam. >> that was an ad for debbie halverson. she's runnina bit south of chicago. she's only been in her seat for one term, unseating a republican in 2008. it was the same year that the district went for obama by about eight points, but it did go for bush the previous two elections. this is thought of as a swing district. who knows how this district is going to go on election day. but that ad, that's what it looks like when democrats campaign in a hard-hitting, pull no punches, nail them to the

wall way that the republicans really do not want to run on this year, but that smart democrats will make them run on. if democrats were trying to win the elections this year in every congressional district in every senate race, every gubernatorial race, every whatever election, some version of that ad could be run. the republican party is essentially, as a whole, embraced privatization of social security. it's in the paul ryan road map for house legislation. the would be republican speaker of the house, john boehner, pointedly not ruling out social security privatization. a ton of the top-of-the-ticket republicans are running. pat toomey in pennsylvania, john raese in west virginia. rob portman in ohio, roy blunt in missouri, ron johnson in wisconsin. all running on privatizing social security. and this debbie halverson add is what it looks like when democrats run against that.

you know what issue republicans are even more vulnerable on than they are on social security? abortion. you have to whisper the word because people get very nervous when you say the word abortion in an election year. but in a year when there is a huge gender gap in who is expected to vote and vote republican. and democrats can only compete if democratic women come out in november. you know want to know where republicans are most vulnerable on an oh my god look at the republican agenda ad, it's on the issue of abortion. the roster of republicans who have adopted this once unelectable now standard position of no abortion ever not even in cases of rape or insist continues to grow. nevada republican candidate sharron angle, alaskan republican candidate joe miller, rand paul, colorado republican candidate ken buck goes there too. even though ken buck is absolutely and proudly in favor of forcing women to bear their relatives' and their rapists'

babies, ken buck is distancing himself from another measure on the same issue on his state's ballot this november. even ken buck thinks it's too extreme. a measure that would amend the constitution of the state of colorado to i'm not kidding categorize fertilized human eggs as people. it's called amendment 62. it would define a person as every human being from the quote beginning of the biological development of that human being. they call it a person hood amendment. it gives the zygote the same rights as you and me. i don't know about driver's licenses, but it would not only make abortions illegal, it would also according to leslie hanks, it would make certain forms of the pill and other contraceptive devices illegal. she says "many of the oral contraceptives have an action that makes the womb inhospitable to a living embryo and the growing baby is prevented from

residing where his or her creator intended until birth." so if you're on the pill, you're committing murder according to these folks. and if you miscarry, that's what? accidental manslaughter? negligent homicide? i don't care that these folks call themselves conservatives. if this is limited government, i'm the queen of england. this is really, really, really, really, really, really big government. republicans are running on a really extreme set of policy proposals. and they were talking about them in the primaries. in the general election, though, they will have to answer to everybody in the electorate to conservatives but also to independents and liberals and everyone. if democrats force republicans to explain themselves to everybody, not just to a republican audience, we will have evidence that democrats are actually trying to win this year. if democrats don't do that, not only do we end up with people holding those extreme positions in office, but we will sit

wondering why democrats didn't try as hard or as well as say debbie halverson did this year. one of her fellow illinois democrats jan chikowski joins us next. they could have shipped it too. saved ourselves the hassle. i'm not too sure about this. look at this. [ security agent ] right. you never kick off with sales figures. kicking off with sales figures! i'm yawning. i'm yawning some more. aaaaaaaand... [ snores ] i see your point. yeah. [ snores ] [ male announcer ] we understand.® you need a partner who delivers convenience. next time use fedex office.

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don't even think about it. >> adam. >> adam. >> adam. >> you just don't get it. >> don't you dare. >> keep your hands off my social security, adam. >> you're out of your tree. >> you're a young guy and got a lot to learn. >> keep your hands off of my social security, you're out of your tree. part of a very good campaign ad that debbie halverson is running as she defends her seat in illinois's 11th district against republican adam kinzinger. joining us now is another illinois democrat, jan schakowsky who is running for election in the ninth district. thanks so much for joining us. >> thank you, rachel. >> first, let me ask you if you share my enthusiasm for this ad. i feel like this is qualitatively better in tone and sharper in message than most of the other ads i've seen this year. >> it's a fantastic ad.

but the good news is, rachel, that you're wrong that it's not being done around the country. we are doing campaigns and ads about social security privatization, hands off our social security, all over the country. that includes even more conservative democrats who are running and, i believe, going to win on that issue. so it is being used. it's one of the major national messages along with our "make it in america, stop outsourcing our jobs" that are being shown all over the country. >> is the reason it seems fresh to me because democrats are being outspent by republicans and in particular republican outside groups by a margin of 5 or 6 to 1? >> that could be. but democrats have been conserving money, i think that gap's going to diminish closer to the campaign. this is the moment the democrats have been saving their money for. so you're going to see that we have a much greater presence as compared to the republicans and these outsiders than we've had before.

>> let me ask you about the issue of reproductive rights. >> sure. >> not only do most democrats not want to run overtly on the issue. no matter what their position is on it. most even don't want to say the word abortion in an election year. democrats haven't liked to campaign on this for a long time. but in this election with this crop of republican candidates and their extreme positions on this issue, it seems to me like democrats don't have a choice. >> and actually that's happening. we see it in colorado where michael bennett has run not one but two ads that deal with reproductive health. we're seeing a governor's races in illinois against bill brady the republican and in indiana -- i mean in michigan. we're seeing it in a number of the races, let's see, in harry reid, of course, is using that in an ad. so we're going to see that more and more, i believe, as we get closer. this is a killer issue. not just the issue of abortion, but it's a window into the extremism.

the intolerance of the -- this brand of republican. 63 members -- 63 house members that are running for reelection as republicans belong to the rnc pro-life under any circumstance, rape or incest, they do not support abortions. you're going to see ads like explaining that around the country. that, you know, it's that kind of republican that we don't want. that is so extreme on so many issues, particularly abortion. this is going to appeal to suburban women, 82% of americans in a poll said that in cases of rape and incest, they believe that abortion should be legal. and so i definitely think that as we get closer to the election that you're going to see this raised particularly in urban areas. >> give me a window on the decisions that are made, the strategic decisions that are made about this idea of national versus local messaging. because obviously any democrat running against one of those

republicans who is that extreme on -- on abortion issues has that out there as a very soft target provided for the pro-choice democrat who is running. but there's also this broader issue, right? that any democrat running anywhere in the country could use that issue by saying, listen, is this the republican party that you want to empower? you want a republican majority? you're going to vote for x republican candidate? if so, you're electing christine o'donnell. you're electing these incredibly radical republicans that you might have heard about nationwide. that's a national campaign strategy. and as far as i understand it, democrats have decided not to do that kind of nationalizing thing. >> well, certainly on social security that you're not right about that. that you're going to see all over. and again, i think you will see increasingly, you know what? emily's list found in a poll that 62% of rather uninterested women became very interested in voting against some candidate that would take away their right

to make their own choice about reproductive health. and so i do think that you're going to see it more. but you know, people are going to look at your own district. in rural areas and different kinds of communities around the country. that's not a message that's going to sell. so candidates are picking and choosing. so certainly the outsourcing issue, the outsourcing our jobs, and social security plays more universally, but you're going to see more and more of these attacks on the extremism and using the fact that even in cases of rape or incest that there's complete anti-choice position. you're going to see those ads. >> congresswoman, jan schakowsky, democrat of illinois trying the turn my frown upside down on this. and doing the most vigorous job anybody has done at defending democratic strategy for these elections this year. thanks for being on the show to do that. >> thank you, rachel. coming up on "the last word" with lawrence o'donnell,

lawrence talks with levi johnston. yes, that levi johnston. yes, it's happening.

i'm going to show you how to get all the way from crazy racist nonsense to crazy racist nonsense in a few simple steps. follow along closely now. i think that this is only barely legal on tv. first, on thursday we told you about new york republican jim russell. mr. russell is running against democratic congresswoman nita lowey just north of new york city. jim russell is the republican running against nita lowey regardless of whether or not the republican party likes that

fact. because mr. russell has a record of racist ranting that makes carl paladino's most racist e-mails blush. quote, parents need to be reminded that they have a natural obligation as essential as providing food and shelter to instill in their children that acceptance of appropriate ethnic boundaries for socialization and for marriage. that's from an essay jim russell wrote in 2001 for a white supremacist quarterly. it was dredged up by politico.com last week. in the essay he argues that language and culture are designed to prevent mixing between the races and mixing between the finches. you may recall that we made kent jones read the finch part out loud because i found that i couldn't hold it together when i tried to read what mr. russell said about those dastardly songbird race mixers. >> it has been demonstrated that finches raised by foster parents of a different species of finch will later exhibit a lifelong

sexual attraction toward the alien species. one wonders how a child's sexual imprinting mechanism is affected by forceable racial integration and near continual exposure to media stimuli promoting interracial contact. >> one wonders. i'll tell you what one wonders, how did this guy become a major party nominee for congress, how did he get on the republican ticket? the answer the republican voters put him there and now they're stuck with him. mr. russell says he is soldiering on. >> this really is unfortunate they're succumbing to a smear tactic by nita lowey to try to compensate for her poor performance and her dwindling support in the polls. >> also, she's the wrong color finch. poor guy, right, hasn't got a friend in the world. actually does have a friend in the world.

jim russell not only has a friend, he has a defender. that brings us to the next stop on our journey from crazy racist nonsense to crazy racist nonsense. the blog of the same white supremacist quarterly that brought you jim russell and the wrong colored finches, that blog turns its attention to me. delighted. i found out about that because whenever david duke or one of these people goes off on me online, my hate mail takes a distinct turn toward lots of all capital letters, misspelled accusations that i'm a secret jew. l'chaim, illiterate racist guys. maddo must be a secret dirty jew screed was the product of a white supremacist radio show. and here's where the hate mail googling started to pay off. the we love jim russell maddo's a dirty jew radio show has paid

sponsors listed on its website. it has proudly sponsored, for example, by american third position, a political party for white americans also by the occidental quarterly which published the race mixing finch thing in first place. this is called caste football. remember that thing last year where somebody wanted to start and all-white sports league, got a little attention, then you really didn't hear about it again? that was not this. that was an all-white basketball league. this is whole other thing. caste football, my friends, caste football is research. racial analysis of nfl teams in which they count the white people. they go team by team in the nfl counting the white people with pictureses of just the white players with their helmets off if at all possible so you can see as much of their excellent

whiteness as possible. the patriots like the colts and packers have a predominantly white starting offense. but for the nfl that still rates as relatively white friendly. their take on the team from washington, which the fellows at caste football call the black skins -- yes, along the same lines. they also lament the jets as, and i quote, heavy on the pepper, light on the salt, if you know what i mean. the dolphins, according to caste football, gone are the great mostly white dolphins teams of the '70s and '80s and now come coal black teams like this year's. they've got a baseball section where we learn that the mets suck because all those foreign players are dragging them down. too bad they can't get someone like albert pujols. oh, wait. it does have a nice hockey section. and there we mostly hear about hockey because they seem vaguely more relaxed there. at least ice is white even if it might be distantly jewish. so trying to bring to light the totally insane finchy racist

rantings of republican new york congressional candidate jim russell, we drew fire from some of the fridgeiest fridge in american politics, but in the process of us drawing that fire, that allowed us to follow them home online where we learned about caste football, the white supremacist's guide to american professional sports. and honestly, one of the funniest things on the internet that does not involve a hamster or a piano. so thank you, caste football for the aerobic workout the entire staff got today laughing at you racist freak shows. and thank you new york congressional candidate and white supremacist jim russell for bringing us together. if i ever get a finch i'm naming him after you and getting him a finch of a different color to be his boyfriend. that does it for us tonight. meanwhile, lots to add to what you see on the show. we're proud of our excellent blog. rachel@msnbc.com and our free podcast is at itune.